Lara Trump plans to interview President Donald Trump, Democrats on new Fox show
Lara Trump is returning to her former home.
The former Republican National Committee co-chair is back at Fox News Channel with "My View with Lara Trump," a Saturday night (9 p.m. ET) opinion show that launched Feb. 22.
In doing so, she has passed up a Cabinet position in her father-in-law President Donald Trump's second White House term and another chance at serving in the United States Senate, making history as the first family member of a sitting president to host a television program. She is the wife of President Trump's middle son, Eric, and the pair share two children, Luke and Carolina.
"The show is to really bring another level of transparency to things that I don't know that we've ever had," Trump told Paste BN. "You know, you look at Donald Trump. I think people would be hard pressed to find a more transparent candidate and administration than we currently have."
Trump, who is known to go to new terrain for conservatives, such as her viral appearance on the radio show "The Breakfast Club" last October, says she would like to invite Democrats on the show − and interview the president.
After Fox News announced her hiring, criticism followed. The Daily Beast said she tried and failed to paint her father-in-law as "pro-feminist" after Trump featured female Trump administration officials Pam Bondi, Tulsi Gabbard and Karoline Leavitt. The New Yorker coined her "The New Trump-Family Megaphone," but she disagrees with the backlash.
"Oh, you mean someone would criticize something that a Trump did?" Trump says. "Of course there will be critics. Of course there will be people who say that," referring to "megaphone" headline. That "is not the intent of the show."
She has a clear plan, though, for "My View," which is already a ratings hit. As left-leaning news networks MSNBC and CNN reshuffle their talent amid President Trump’s second term, axing his critics or offering them lesser time slots, "My View" garnered the most viewers of any cable program over its opening weekend, according to Nielsen ratings.
The show beat out ESPN college basketball with 2.4 million viewers ahead of March Madness.
Lara Trump: Father-in-law President Donald Trump is 'biggest cheerleader'
Trump tells Paste BN the president thought the first episode was “amazing," and she praised him as her "biggest cheerleader."
“He’s called me twice since the show to tell me what an amazing job he thought I did, how much he enjoyed the show and unfortunately, both times, I missed his call,” Trump says, adding that her phone was dead and she was on a plane during the respective attempts.
"I'm really grateful, and I'm happy (President Trump) loved it," she says. "Of course, he told me that the only way that I was going to get a huge audience is if I had him on, and so I think that − I don't want to say I've proven him wrong. When he comes on, I guess the audience will be even bigger."
When does Lara Trump plan to have the president on 'My View'?
For those wondering when her father-in-law will make his "My View" debut, Trump says she would like to have him on the show after he hits 100 days in office.
"I really wanted to establish myself in this position before having him on. So, you know, we'll see. We don't have anything officially planned."
She insists she's carving her own lane on Fox News and praised President Trump's administration in her interview with Paste BN.
Trump decided to host her new Fox show to "bring an extra layer of transparency and more information, not less information, to people out there."
"You know what side I'm on, you know for whom I voted, and you know that I obviously want to see this country succeed with my father-in-law as president, but I think anyone who tunes into the show regularly will very quickly learn that I'm simply trying to give more insights."
Who will be the guests on Lara Trump's new show?
Her dream guests? Her own family.
"I actually would love to do an interview with my whole family, and I would love for people see because I don't know that's anyone's ever done that, just the way we all interact I think is very cool," she says. "And I think, you know, people love to write articles about this, that and the other. We all get along so well. I think the past eight years have made us all closer."
She also wants to invite Democrats, suggesting moderate Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and HBO talk show host Bill Maher.
And the show's cheeky title isn't throwing shade at "The View," the ABC daytime hit show famously critical of the president.
"Some took it as a swipe at 'The View,' but mostly it's because it is really what this show is all about. It's my view on things and my perspective," she says, adding that the name is simple and straightforward.
Trump did divulge that she "probably would have said yes" to co-hosting "The View." When asked if producers had ever asked her, she said, "Not to my knowledge."
Lara Trump skipped chance to become U.S. senator (again)
To host "My View," Trump took her name out of consideration to replace Marco Rubio, her father-in-law's pick for secretary of state, in the U. S. Senate representing Florida, where she now lives. She also was floated as a Senate candidate in 2022 in her home state, North Carolina.
Motherhood is more important, she says. "For me, being the mom of two young kids who are 5 and 7 right now, my kids need me. They want me around. That doesn't last forever. There will come a point where they're like, 'Get away, Mom. We don't need you around here.'"
She shoots the show in locations around the country.
"With that in mind, this great opportunity at Fox came up, and I said, you know, 'It just feels like this is the position that God is pushing me in. There's a reason you don't see a lot of moms of school-age children as United States senators." There are four moms of school-aged children in the Senate.
"It's not that they don't have the drive to do it. It's very challenging to be away from your children if you don't move them fully to D.C. for the amount of time it's necessary to do the job of United States senator."
For now, the "No Days Off" singer says the Senate can wait. Voters can find her seated on the anchor desk every Saturday, giving her view.
"I actually hope that maybe we bring new people into the fold to tune in to Fox because of this show because I do think you're getting something that is different, that isn't solely based on the frenzied 24-hour news cycle that we're all used to," she says.
"I think it's hard sometimes to take a second to take a breath and really appreciate the people who are making the big changes right now. And that's truly what I hope to highlight."
'My View' third episode will feature Vivek Ramaswamy, Sean Duffy
"My View" airs Saturday nights on Fox. The March 8 episode will feature Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.